DIGITAL MUSIC COMPOSITION CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE OVERVIEW

Create an original musical composition (1-2 minutes in length) using either GarageBand or Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker. Your composition should be suitable as background music for a photo montage showcasing VEX robotics activities - including building, testing, and competition phases.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Primary Tools

• Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker - Browser-based music creation tool with an intuitive interface

• GarageBand - Available on Mac/iOS devices

Additional Free Music Creation Tools

• Soundtrap EDU - Cloud-based digital audio workstation with loops, effects, and virtual instruments

• BandLab - Free online DAW with recording capabilities, loops library, and collaboration features

• Audiotool - Browser-based electronic music production platform with drum machines and synthesizers

• Soundation - Online music studio with recording, effects, and virtual instruments (free tier available)

• BeepBox - Simple, intuitive chiptune synthesizer that runs in your browser

AI Music Generation Tools

• AIVA - AI music composer with free tier

• Soundraw - AI music generator with customizable parameters

• Mubert - AI-powered music streaming and generation platform

Tutorial Resources

• GarageBand Essential Tutorial for Beginners

• Chrome Music Lab Song Maker Tutorial

• Music Theory for Beginners

Creative Inspiration

• Examples of Student Music Compositions (You can add a folder link here with example compositions)

• MYP Design Cycle Application in Music Creation (IBO resource on applying design thinking to creative projects)

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submit your original composition in one of these formats:

• MP3 audio file

• WAV audio file

CHALLENGE SEQUENCE

PART 1: Individual Composition (30 minutes)

Each team member creates their own original 1-2 minute composition using one of the suggested tools.

PART 2: Team Collaboration (20 minutes)

As a team, review all individual compositions and either:

• Select the strongest composition as your team's submission, OR

• Collaborate to create a new composition that incorporates the best elements from individual pieces

PART 3 : AI-Generated Alternative (20 minutes)

Using one of the suggested AI music generation tools, create a 2-3 minute AI-generated composition with similar mood and energy to your team's selected/collaborative piece.

FINAL DELIVERABLES

• Team's selected/collaborative composition (MP3 or WAV)

• AI-generated alternative composition (MP3 or WAV)

• Brief written comparison (100-150 words) noting the strengths and differences between the human-created and AI-generated compositions

EVALUATION CRITERIA

SUCCESS CRITERIA

• Compositions meet specified length requirements

• Work is original (team composition) or appropriately generated (AI version)

• Music appropriately matches the context of VEX robotics activities

• Submissions include required file formats

• Compositions demonstrate intentional musical choices

• Effective use of both digital music tools and AI generation tools

• Thoughtful comparison between human and AI-generated compositions

Making cool music in MYP Design